New Music Monday: For fans of rock, female harmonies & 80s pop

The beauty and crux of being a music fan is you can never listen to it all. It used to stress me out and make me feel like I wasn’t being a good enough music fan if I wasn’t listening to every last album under the sun. I felt like I needed to keep up and be in the know about everything to truly be a good groupie.

Over the last few years, I’ve learned that’s not the case. Part of the fun of this music thing, as my Twitter pal @Veleenah reminded me recently, is discovering new songs and albums on your own. Sometimes they’re brand new and no one else is talking about them yet. Other time, you’re about three years behind everyone else. But it’s FUN, all the same, to find new music that suits you.

It’s part of what makes me love that line from “Almost Famous” about music choosing you:

“Music, you now, true music – not just rock n roll – it chooses you. It live in your car, or alone listening to your headphones, you know, with the cast scenic bridges and angelic choirs in your brain. It’s a place apart from the vast, benign lap of America.”

So while you might be queuing up your favorite holiday music, I’m not quite ready to bust out my favorite Christmas records just yet. 2015 has been a year FULL of great music, and I’m still trying to catch up on all the things I’ve missed.

By the way, if you’re on the list for my 3 Bands emails, you’ve been getting some of my picks in your inbox once a month and I hope you’ve found a new band or two that you enjoy. (Not on the list? Get on it today! Next email goes out tomorrow.)

Here is some of my fave new music I’ve been listening to lately:

El Vy

Home: United StatesFor fans of: Will Butler, The Arc, Black Honey, indie rockHow I discovered them: Alt Nation on SiruisXMWhy I like them: Sometimes the reason you like a band or a song is simply because you enjoy hearing it. That’s exactly the case with El Vy. By the way, the band’s name is pronounced “hell pie”, and it’s made up of the former frontman of The National, Matt Berninger, and Brent Knopf of Menomena.Songs to check out: “Return to the Moon”, “I’m the Man to Be”Find ’em online:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | WebsiteListening links:Spotify | Soundcloud

The Bros. Landreth

Home: Winnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaFor fans of: Jamestown Revival, First Aid Kit, AmericanaHow I discovered them: SXSW 2015Why I like them: These dudes are killer songwriters. I’m such a sucker for the Americana bands the last few years, but The Bros. Landreth pair their sound with some seriously poignant lyrics that will stop you dead in your tracks and listen.Songs to check out: “Greenhouse”, “I Am the Fool”Find ’em online:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | WebsiteListening links:Spotify | Soundcloud

Run River North

Home: San Fernando Valley, Calif.For fans of: The Head & the Heart, Of Monsters and Men, The Mowgli’s, indie popHow I discovered them: Spotify Discovery playlist (I know there’s mixed feeling about this, but I always find a gem or two on mine)Why I like them: This pick takes us in the total opposite direction of Nothing But Thieves – and you may have heard them before and never realized it. I’m such a sucker for harmonies, acoustic guitars and cool percussion. Run River North has it all. Plus their origin story is pretty cool: they filmed a video for their song “Fight to Keep” in the back seat of a Honda…which caught Honda’s attention, landed them in a commercial and ended with a record deal.Songs to check out: “Growing Up”, “Fight To Keep”, “Run River Run”Find ’em online:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | WebsiteListening links:Spotify | Rdio | Soundcloud

Phases

Home: Los Angeles, Calif.For fans of: Walk The Moon, Grouplove, 80s-inspired popHow I discovered them: I have followed Alex Greenwald everywhere since Phantom Planet dissolved in 2008 (sob!), and Phases is his latest musical incarnation. Doesn’t hurt that Z Berg – former lead singer of The Like and one of my fave front women and female singers, ever – is also in the band. LA pop royalty! (In my book, anyway.)Why I like them: Alex and Z have an amazing knack for nailing killer pop songs. Phases is no exception. A reincarnation of a previous band, JJAMZ, Phases is so off my usual sound but I think that’s why I enjoy them. This is definitely the kind of music to throw on while cruising down the highway, hosting a party or for solo bedroom dance parties in your underwear.Songs to check out: “I’m In With My Life”, “Cooler”Find ’em online:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Tumblr | WebsiteListening links:Spotify | Soundcloud

Nothing But Thieves

Home: Southend-on-Sea, United KingdomFor fans of: Royal Blood, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, alt-rockHow I discovered them: Alt-Nation on SiriusXMWhy I like them: Every once in a while a rock band comes along that I can’t seem to get enough of…and they’re almost always from the UK. (The Strypes, The Crookes…) Nothing But Thieves is just my latest love. I love songs with mid-tempo verses and power choruses, like “Trip Switch”. Plus every time I hear it, I cannot get the “down down down” line out of my head. So catchy.Songs to check out: “Trip Switch”, “Graveyard Whistling”Find ’em online:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | WebsiteListening links:Spotify | Rdio | Soundcloud

The Staves

Home: Watford, Hertfordshire, EnglandFor fans of: Bon Iver, Eisley, lush female harmoniesHow I discovered them: My pal Adam of Songs for the Day recommended these gals to me awhile back. They’ve been around for awhile, but I’m hoping they’ll be new to your ears.Why I like them: Being a Beach Boys fan since age 7 means you’re obsessed with any and all harmonies. And it’s kind of rare to find a really, really good girl group that harmonies so beautifully these days. (Y’know, without Autotune…) Their music definitely falls into the “winter listening” category for me – quiet and simple – but they might be your perfect autumn jam. Plus these girls are doing big things, like opening for Florence + the Machine. Check them out now!Songs to check out: “Steady”, “The Shining”Find ’em online: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Google+Listening links: Spotify | Soundcloud

Middle Brother

Home: United StatesFor fans of: The Cave Singers, Trampled By Turtles, Blitzen Trapper, rock ‘n rollHow I discovered them: One more Discovery playlist pick for ya – the band is made up of John McCauley from Deer Tick, Taylor Goldsmith from Dawes and Matthew Vasquez from Delta SpiritWhy I like them: I’ll be honest – Deer Tick, Dawes and Delta Spirit are all bands that I like…but I don’t really keep up with their every move. So it was a pleasant surprise to discover Middle Brother is a “supergroup” of sorts, featuring members of each band…and one that’s been around since 2011.
Middle Brother might not be brand new to you, but they were new to me and definitely music worth revisiting. They’re the kind of music that’s perfect for dreary fall days full of hot cups of coffee, cozy blankets and good books to read.Songs to check out: “Blue Eyes”, “Wilderness”Find ’em online: Twitter | Facebook | WebsiteListening links: Spotify | Rdio

What new music are you listening to?

As always, share your fave new music in the comments or with me on Twitter.

Happy listening,

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I’ve been totally digging Nothing But Thieves lately as well! I enjoy that they’re more along the lines of rock that I feel like we’ve kind of been missing on the scene the last few years. I had heard about El Vey, but never looked into them until I learned their ties to The National – now the album is next up on my Spotify listening. I’m definitely curious.